This invention relates to pallet trucks and is shown and described herein as applied to what is known in the art as a "pallet truck walkie".
In this type of pallet truck the operator walks behind the truck and operates controls which effect propulsion of the pallet truck on supporting ground wheels, effect steering of the ground wheels, and effect raising and lowering movements of the forklift structure which engages beneath pallets to raise them, moves them about to a desired position, and then lowers the forklift mechanism whereby the load is deposited and the truck may be withdrawn from engagement with the pallets.
A serious problem exists in devices of this type since operators habitually lower the forklift structure to its lowermost position to withdraw the same from beneath the pallet and then leave the forklift structure in such position after the same has been withdrawn from beneath a load of pallets and while the truck is moved about on its ground wheels to ultimately engage beneath other pallets which are to be raised and moved. The result is that the fork portion of the structure may drag about in engagement with the surface on which the truck is operating whereby the under surfaces of the fork structure wear rapidly and become seriously damaged. This scraping of the fork structure on floors and the like is also harmful to the surfaces upon which the truck is operating.